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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sugarbeet Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #407733
Research Project: Improving Sugarbeet Productivity and Sustainability through Genetic, Genomic, Physiological, and Phytopathological Approaches

Location: Sugarbeet Research

Title: Modulatory role of nitric oxide in wound healing of potato tubers

Author
item Dogramaci, Munevver
item SARKAR, DIPAYAN - North Dakota State University
item Lulai, Edward

Submitted to: Frontiers in Horticulture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/10/2024
Publication Date: 1/22/2024
Citation: Dogramaci, M., Sarkar, D., Lulai, E.C. 2024. Modulatory role of nitric oxide in wound healing of potato tubers. Frontiers in Horticulture. 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fhort.2024.1345461.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fhort.2024.1345461

Interpretive Summary: Wounding of potato tubers can occur during harvest, postharvest handling and transportation, and causes considerable economic loss to the potato industry. Under ideal postharvest storage conditions, potato tubers can naturally heal some of these wounds, cuts, and bruises. However, potato growers need effective postharvest treatment strategies to improve tuber wound healing. Nitric oxide, a gaseous substance, is considered to play a major role in the wound repair mechanism of the living cells. However, there is no previous research about the role of nitric oxide in potato tuber wound healing. In this study, potato tubers were mechanically wounded, and then changes in nitric oxide content and enzymes related to the biosynthesis of nitric oxide were determined in potato tuber tissues during wound-healing period. Different chemicals with mechanisms to block or accelerate nitric oxide biosynthesis were also used for treating wounded potato tuber tissues to evaluate their impact on wound-healing. Enhanced nitric oxide content and higher activity of enzyme related to the biosynthesis of nitric oxide were observed in potato tuber tissues immediately after wounding. Results of this study clearly suggest that nitric oxide plays an important role in potato tuber wound healing and have potential to be utilized as a postharvest treatment to counter wound related losses in storage.

Technical Abstract: Wounding of potato tubers severely affects the postharvest storage qualities and marketability. There is a growing need to find practical storage management practices to support accelerated wound healing (WH) responses of potato tubers. It is well known that nitric oxide (NO) plays a role in repair and healing of wounded biological tissues. The specific role of NO in WH responses of potato tubers has not been carefully examined. The aim of this study was to elucidate the modulatory role of NO in WH response of potato tubers by determining the activity of key enzymes associated with NO biosynthesis. Certified seed mini tubers, cv. Russet Burbank, were used. A tuber tissue disc model was advanced to study WH responses of potato tubers with treatments of different NO related chemicals such as NO scavenger, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, and NO donors. The effect of these treatments on in vitro production of NO, activity of nitrate reductase (NR), NOS, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) were determined. The accumulation of suberin polyphenolics (SPP) in wounded parenchyma cells, an indicator of early suberization process was also analyzed histologically. Treatment of tuber tissues with the higher dose (5mM) of a NO scavenger (2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide PTIO) at the time of wounding completely ceased SPP accumulation after 3 d of WH. Increased production of NO and enhanced activity of NOS were also observed immediately after wounding of the potato tuber tissues. Results of this study suggest that NO is a key biological modulator in WH responses of potato tubers and can be optimized as a treatment to improve tuber WH in storage.